Students will strip for charity in Smith Plaza today.
UNM's Public Interest Research Group is teaming up with the New Mexico Veterans Integration Center and Student Veterans of UNM for the demonstration.
Sean Debuck, president of UNMPIRG, said anyone can participate in the strip poker clothing drive, but he recommends dressing in layers.
"Whatever clothes you lose, you donate to the clothing drive," he said.
Debuck said 20 members of the Sigma Chi fraternity are signed up to participate in the clothing drive and that all donations go to homeless veterans through the New Mexico Veterans Integration Center.
"It's getting near the holidays, and we're in the spirit of giving, so we figured it would be a good way for students to help out," said Erica Krause, media relations coordinator for UNMPIRG. "We just thought it would be a fun way for them to get involved, instead of just dropping clothes off in a box."
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But if students want to donate clothes without shedding them, they can go to PIRG's office in the bottom floor of the SUB, she said.
"There's plenty of clothing drives going around, but no one really knows about them, so we're really trying to get publicity and at the same time get people to help out," Debuck said.
Eric Ross, a member of Student Veterans of UNM, was a soldier in the Marine Corps and served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Ross said there are 8,000 homeless veterans in New Mexico, 2,000 of whom live in Albuquerque and would benefit from UNMPIRG's clothing drive.
"Veterans tend to have a higher percentage of homelessness," he said. "Some of them have been disenchanted, and this (clothing drive) is here to . end the cycle of homelessness."
Erik Flores, another member of Student Veterans of UNM, said this event will help homeless veterans get through the winter. It will also raise awareness about the ongoing problem of veteran homelessness, he said.
"Vets helping vets is something that I'm about," Flores said. "You always have that brotherhood, that camaraderie if you've entered the service, so that's really why I'm here. I want to see our fellow veterans get off the streets and into a home, and they definitely need some help doing that."
Debuck said he doesn't think the participants in the poker game will get naked.
"I'm pretty sure that's illegal. I'm not sure we can do that," he said. "But they're fraternity guys, so they just might."
Ross said the Student Veterans of UNM will set up alongside UNMPIRG.
"I think it's very creative. It's a very nice way to collect clothing," Ross said. "I don't know how far down they'll get, but it is college."
Strip poker
Smith Plaza
Today
1 p.m.-3 p.m.
